Record-keeping system.



PATBNTED JULY 3, 1906.

M. DE W. POLLOGK.

RECORD KEEPING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2,1905.'

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES:

AITDR/VEYS' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RECORD-KEEPING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 1906.

Application filed June 2, 1905. Serial No. 263,394-

To (LU, whom it may concern:

Be it known that LiNlnxron DE WITT POL- LOCK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Decatur, in the county of Macon and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Record-Keeping System, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improved system of keeping records and accounts, and has for its principal object to provide a ledger or permanent record-line on a suitable portion of a series of original bills or record-slips, said slips being designed to serve as the permanent or ledger record.

A further object of the invention is to provide suitable and convenient systems of filing the bills or record-slips in such a way that the desired recordnaniely, that which is usually 5 posted in a ledger-can be set up in ledger form without rewriting it and so that it will appear in regular order as posted from time to time. The ledger-record is filed in such a memorandum can be re- It is therefore unnecessary to make any copy of the record in posting, this being done by moving the original bill or record-slip from one place to another, as from the bill-pad to the desired ledgerpage OI'lfilGS.

A further object of the invention is to provide the ledger with a name or index-guide for each page or file, so arranged that when filed away a sufficient portion of the first part of each name or index-guide will be visible to permit ready reference thereto.

Further objects of the invention will appear in the course of the subjoined description.

way that the entire ferred to readily.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawingls, forming a part of this specification,

similar characters of reference indiparts in all the figures.

in whic cate corresponding Figure 1 is a front elevation of a file adapted for use with my system. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is Fig. 4 is a sec- 5 a transverse sectional view. tional view of a filing-cabinet designed for use ures. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the filingcabinet. Fig. 6 is a plan of a blank record or 7 1s a similar memorandum slip, and Fig. view of a blank record-slip or bill in another form.

with the file shown in the first three figl The record-slip a (shown in Fig. 7) is pro- 5 vided with a ledger or permanent record-line a, preferably located at the top. The main part of this line is especially adapted for the reception of data indicating the transaction to be recorded as a general description of goods or in a physicians record the name of the member of the family treated. It may also beaised to show cash received. It is also provided with spaces a for any desired purpose-as, for example, crediting and debiting amountsand with an additional space (L3, which can be used for various purposes, but which iwill ordinarily be used to designate the difference between the debit and the credit or the amount due. The slip is preferably designated with characters below the ledger-line for showing what these spaces are intended to contain, and a space a" is preferably provided at this point for the purpose of entering the name of the party in whose name the transaction is recorded. Below this is a larger space filling the body of the slip, which may contain a description of goods bought or sold, or, in fact, anything of that character, and in the form shown I have provided it with words indicating certain i things which it is desirable to record in keeping the accounts of physicians.

In Fig. 6 is shown another record-slip b, which is provided with a permanent record or ledger line b, the main part of which is designed for the reception of data like the line i a. This slip is also provided with spaces 1)", b and b, similar to the spaces a, a and a. This card is preferably provided with a larger 1 space below, which may contain any desired l remarks. In the drawings it is designed for receiving a more complete record of a case treated by a physician than the slip a.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 is shown a.file c for receiving the memorandum or record slips. This file is provided with a plurality of slits c, which may, if desired, be arranged parallel with each other and in alinement' for the purpose of receiving them. Fig. 1 shows the i they will occupy when the permanent record 1 is made. It will be seen that each slip cov- 1 ers all of the slip above except the ledgerline. Consequently when the parts are assembled the file will. show the top or ledger lines of the slips representing the several eni tries, showing the dates and the amountsregfile with these parts in the position which especially val day,

down into the tile without a single transfer istered for those dates, the latter being in col- I umns and these columns being designated by the lowest slip. The file is provided with a tab 0 for receiving the name of the party with whom the account is made and with a folder if desired, by which the record can I ordinarily be covered. i I will describe the manner of using this system when applied to the keeping of physicians records, which are sometimes lengthy 5 and at other times only represent a charge made or a record of medicine given. In. this case the slip 6 covers the preliminary examii nation in detail, the record-slips ashowing I the-progress of the case in any desired way. f In keeping the record the physician carries a number of the blank slips or cards in his dayl b'ook, thus enabling him to make the desired i l record at the bedsideof the patient, aswell as at his office. Such records would include history, diagnosis, treatment, &c., and, if del sired, a carbon copy of any prescriptions given could be included. At the close of the l or at any suitable time, these cards can I be merely filed away in the various ledgeri files, each one under the proper name. The cards are slipped into the slits 0, beginning at the top and being filed in the proper order. Each card is provided with a shoulder on each side, these shoulders being designated a on the slips a and If on the slips b, and they 5 prevent the record-slips from passing too far and secure the alinement and the covering of certain parts of the reci ord, as described above. The long slip b can be made'without these shoulders if means is l provided for preventing it from slipping through the bottom of the file, this means being represented in the drawings by the at tachment of the sheet in which the slits c are formed to the back of the/file near the bot-. tom at 0. It will be seen that the books are posted or -copy of any record, and at the same time a complete history of the case is kept. for future reference. It I will be readily seen that the system is appli- 1 cable to ordinary bookkeeping and that it is i uable for many kinds of records I where special remarks are desired to be made regarding the transactions which are record ed. It will not be necessary to describe the operationof the system in other kinds of business.

It will be clearly understood that various 1 other means can be employed for keeping the slips in the proper position with respect to I each other and that when the system is to be I manufactured for retail and wholesale. trade, I &c. many obvious modifications can be made i to suit the existing conditions. In business I it maybe desirable to furnish customers with a. file and with carbon copies of each record- 1 slip. so that they can file them and at all i times keep a record of their accounts. This l vided with a stepped base d and with a series for holding the slips in alinement, with the renders statements to customers unnecessary as they have at all times an exact duplicate of the dealers ledger-page.

It will be seen that by the use of this system the memoranda will be exceedingly accessible for reference and at the same time they are held securely in place and are capa ble of a wide range of uses. In certain kinds of business the names of the parties with whom dealings are had can be placed on the. ledgerline, and these can be filed alphabetically in the files, so as to provide for ready reference to them. This would of course not be a ledger-account; but it shows the use of the system in another way. The files can be placed in a book or secured together by any desired kind of a loose-leaf binder; but I prefer to file them in a cabinet such as that illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. The cabinet (1 is pros of vertically-placed pigeonholes (1 located between partitions (1 which extend to the floor 61. The filing of the files in this cabinet will be an obvious matter, and they will be so placed that the tabs 0 are located where they can be readily referred to. Preferably they are placed in the reverse position to that usually employed, the first one to the left in each pigeonhole being at the tear, the second one in front of it, and the third one in front of that, and so on. This provides for the, exposure of the first two or three letters of each name or of the whole name, according to the amount of space which may be had, and therefore assists in the readiness with which the device can be used and the several files picked out. This provides a direct method of indexing whereby the accounts are so filed that the names will appear alphabetically, and each name will be clearly visible. hen an account is full, it is preferably removed and a new file or leaf inserted with the balance carried forward, so that the account is continuous in the same manner as in the card system. 1 10 Having thus described my invention, I clainr as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A record-keeping system, comprising a plurality of record-slips each having a permanent record-line having divisions, and a space for receiving descriptive matter, in combination with a file for receiving said slips, said file having a tab for designating the person with whom the account is kept, and being provided with means for holding the slips in alinement, with the permanent record-lines thereof exposed and said spaces concealed.

2. A record-keeping system, comprising a plurality of record-slips each having a permanent record-line, in combination witha file for receiving said slips, said file having a tab for designating the person withwhom the account is kept, and being provided with means loo permanent record-lines thereof exposed, the files being arranged with their tabs placed in such a manner that each one in front of another is located at a distance to the right thereof.

3. A rei'iord-kceping system, comprising a plurality of record-sli s each havin a perma nent record or ledger inc, said line having divisions, each slip being further provided with :1. space for receiving descriptive matter, in combination with a file for receiving said sh )s, said file having means for holding the slips with the ledger-lines of all of them exposed and said spaces concealed.

4. A record-keeping system, comprising a plurality of record-sli )8 each havin r a permanent record or ledger line, said line having divisions, each slip being further provided with a space for receiving descriptive matter, in combination with a file for receiving said slips, said file having means for holding the slips with the ledger-lines of all of them exposed and said spaces concealed bv the next slip whereby the divisions in the ledger-lines will constitute columns showing the state of the account.

5. A record-keeping system, comprising a plurality of record-sli s each havin a permanent record or ledger line, said line having divisions, each slip being further provided with a space for receiving descriptive matter, in combination with a file for receiving said sli )8, said file having means for holding the slips with the ledger-lines of all of them exposed and said spaces concealed; said file having slits in a continuous surface thereof for reccivin v the slips, the edges of the slits serving to lick the slips in position, and the slips having projections extending beyond the slits.

6. A record-keeping system, comprising a )lurality of record-slips each having a ledgerline provided with a space for a date, and a plurality of spaces for figures, said slips also being )rovidcd with shoulders, in combination with a file havin slits for receiving said slips, the slits being of a length sufiicient to receive the main part of each sli whereby the shoulders can rest upon the (X ges of the slits and project beyond them.

7. A record-keeping system comprisin a series of record-slips, each being IOVl(l(i with a permanent record or ledger ine having a space therein desi ned for receiving data, a space designated or receiving the debit-entry, a space designated for receiving the creditentry, and a s )ace desi nated for receiving an entry of the difference between the debits and credits, said record-slips being also provided with a s )ace adjacent to said ledger-line designated orrecewing descriptive matter, and a file having slits for receiving and supporting said slips.

8. A record-keeping system, comprising a plurality of record-slips each having a perma nent record or ledger line, in combination with a file for receiving said slips, said file having means for holding the slips with the record-lines of all of them exposed, said file having slits in a continuous surface thereof for receiving the slips.

9. A record-keeping system, comprising a plurality of record-slips each having a permanent record or ledger line, in combinatiim witha file for receiving said slips, said filehavin means for holding the slips with the l0( ger-lines of all of them exposed, each slip being mounted above the one in front of it a distance equal to the width of said record or led er line.

n testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MILTON DE WI'lT POLLOCK. Witnesses:

M. P. Pmuusn, EMMA MILES POLLOCK. 

